It doesn’t take long for any discussion around Liverpool’s lack of defensive options before someone mentions Calvin Ramsey. It was four years ago that the Reds spent more than £4 million on the right-back from Aberdeen, being hyped as the next youngster to hit the heights at Anfield.
Instead, his time at the club has been one of disappointment, with manager after manager deciding that he’s not quite at the required level to be a regular starter for the club. He’s been sent to the likes of Preston North End and Bolton Wanderers on loan, with St Mirren the latest club to sign him.
Why It Hasn’t Worked
In truth, it’s difficult to know exactly why things haven’t worked for Calvin Ramsey at Liverpool. He was given a Scotland cap in 2022, which seemed like the start of a journey that had him being the Reds’ regular right-back at the end of it. Instead, he has struggled to make his way up the pecking order, never quite being as able to pass a ball as well as Trent Alexander-Arnold or as defensively solid as Conor Bradley. Even when a beleaguered Arne Slot was turning struggling for a fit right-back in the 2025-2026 campaign, Bradley never really entered his thinking.
Good luck at St Mirren Calvin Ramsey, there’s a decent right back in there, we’ve seen it in the incredibly short minutes he’s had for us.
Wish him all the best, injuries messed up the shot he had with us I feel.
— CosyGapko (@cosygapko.bsky.social) 20 August 2026 at 13:14
When Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez were all out injured, the Dutchman was happier to play Dominik Szoboszlai in the slot rather than Ramsey. The Scottish full-back was on the bench for numerous Premier League games without making it onto the pitch, whilst Slot himself said that the Reds had ‘better options’ than Ramsey. It was a brutal statement from the head coach, yet the fact that Andoni Iraola has come in and is also happy enough for him to leave for St Mirren is a sign that Slot wasn’t the only person disappointed with what Ramsey has to offer.
Given both the hype that surrounded Ramsey when we signed him, as well as our need for options in the squad, it is difficult to assess his departure as anything other than a damning indictment of his time at the club. Many were excited by the capture of his signature by Liverpool, but it appears as though any promise that he’s shown has yet to be really realised. Quite whether that’s down to a lack of ability on his part or simply a sign of how messed up things have become at Liverpool isn’t easy to work out. Perhaps a good run in Scotland will present him with one more chance of success at Anfield.
